LEANING way over the line to get closer to the board. This one is a
real loser, since leaning robs the darter of stability. The feet and legs should
be positioned in a solid, comfortable, and relaxed stance, with weight
distributed to both feet. Excessive leaning places nearly all of the body weight
on one foot, tiring the shooter in long matches and damaging accuracy in the
short run.

The few inches gained by leaning over the line are simply not worth the huge
loss of balance and stability, plus leaning lowers the shoulder, forcing one to
throw upwards, fighting gravity. Leaning also usually means tensing the major
muscles of the body to preserve balance. This often results in a jerky release
and poor follow-through, since the body is already off-balance.

A number of long-time players report back, knee, ankle, and foot pain, from
spending many years standing on one foot while playing darts. Even in the short
run, leaning to throw will cause minor pain in the small of the back. Especially
for older players, a firm stance will stop this discomfort, both while playing
and the next morning! If someone argues the point with you, think about this..
In what other sport would you drink a six-pack of beer, stand "tiptoe"
on one foot, and try to compete in an accuracy competition? In every other
competitive sport, accuracy begins with a solid stance!

LUNGING or lifting the back foot off the floor during the toss to get
a harder throw. Lunging is one of the worst habits, as it affects the entire
body and throw. Lifting the foot even partway from the floor deprives the body
of good balance during the crucial moment of follow-through. The strength
required to reach the board with any normal dart is minimal, and for best
accuracy should be provided only by the fingers, wrist, and forearm. Missing the
board or hitting too low often cause beginners to think that more power is
needed. This is rarely true, as one can tell by the fact that the missed darts
usually stick in the wall, which is quite a bit harder than a bristle dartboard.
The problem lies with the accuracy of the throw and follow through. Even small
children can be taught to throw accurately without lunging or using the
shoulders in a throw. HOLDING THE DART SIDEWAYS, or in any other position
than level and pointed at the board. Skill at darts, or any other target sport,
means being able to perform the same motion exactly the same way, time after
time. Common sense, as well of years of studies in other sports, show that all
non-essential motion should be avoided and discarded from the routine.

In Darts, this means that if the dart is to strike the board at a level
attitude (nearly always the best), it should be held and thrown from a position
as close to level as is possible. Any other position (such as point-up,
point-down, or sideways) means extra motion of all the hand and wrist muscles to
correct the initial starting position. Pure wasted effort... and usually futile,
since the dart will likely leave the hand at an angle and wobble all the way to
the board. The darts also may stick in the board at odd angles, especially after
a long period of play when concentration starts to slip a little.

THROWING THE DARTS, like a baseball is unnecessary and even dangerous,
as a dart thrown too hard may hit a wire or other object and bounce clear across
the room to hit someone. Dartboard wires get bent and the bristles crushed from
this type of abuse. Fortunately "baseball throwers" usually stop after
a while, either due to the laughter of spectators or the frowns of the bar
manager. This method is also hopelessly inaccurate, as all of the major strength
muscles and very few of the fine control muscles are used. A dart should never
be thrown so hard that the front of the dart barrel touches the bristles. If
this happens when a dart is thrown normally, then the dart point is too short
and should be changed at a darts shop.

SPINNING the dart as you release it to add stability. WRONG! This is
wasted effort at best, and can actually make your game worse by causing uneven
release. Most darts flights are not shaped to properly induce spin, and the
darts actually fly for too short a distance (about 5 feet) for aerodynamic spin
to be a stabilizing factor anyway.

Spinning the dart is often done inadvertently, and is a symptom of uneven
release. As the hand opens, if the thumb leaves the dart before the fingers, the
dart will roll sideways off the fingers, causing the dart to spin. All parts of
the hand should leave the dart at nearly the same time to ensure level flight.
To achieve this, make opening the hand a positive motion, and open the fingers
and thumb rapidly to an extended position, ending up pointing at the target.
This will also help keep the flights from touching the fingers as the dart
leaves the hand.